A Whitmire man is on trial for his alleged role in a home invasion and murder that occurred in Union County in 2008.

Patrick Troy Rice, 26, of 617 Evans St., is charged with murder, two counts of kidnapping, armed robbery and first-degree burglary. A jury was selected and testimony began Tuesday afternoon. Deputy Solicitor John Anthony told the jury in his opening statement that the evidence the state has against Rice includes three witnesses to whom he had admitted his part in the crimes against Kelvin Davis.

Rice is accused of being part of a group who came to 147 Woodberry Drive on Aug. 18, 2008, terrorized a family with guns and threats and left 19-year-old Davis with a gunshot wound to the chest. Davis was pronounced dead at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center a short time later.

A report said Sgt. Dean Gibson and Deputy Tim Gaston were called to the Davis home around 12:30 a.m. that day. They found Davis’ sister, Tensslie Davis, 27, distraught and saying her brother had been shot.

Kelvin Davis was in the kitchen floor in a pool of blood. He was breathing but unresponsive.

Union County EMS arrived and a helicopter was called from Spartanburg Regional Medical Center. It could not fly because of foggy conditions. Davis was taken by ambulance to Spartanburg Regional.

Tensslie Davis’ two children were found in a bedroom, upset but unharmed.

Ms. Davis told deputies she and one of her children, who then was 3, were in bed when at least three black men woke them up demanding money. She said two of the men had on camouflage masks and the third had on a black hat that was pulled down and she could not see his face. At least two of the men had guns — one a pistol and the other a gun not as long as a rifle but longer than a handgun. Two of the men tied her up as they asked for money and car keys. She told them where her purse and keys were. They also wanted a “money box” but she said she did not know about it.

She said she could hear the suspects and her brother down the hall but could not see them because one of the men was blocking the door pointing a gun at her.

Ms. Davis said as the suspects were leaving she heard one of them order that Kelvin be shot and used a racial epitaph. She heard a shot and heard her brother yell. She said she waited a minute to make sure the men were gone, went down the hall and found her brother. She used her daughter’s cell phone to call 911. She said her purse had been moved from the kitchen to the living room and her cell phone, her identification and her debit car were gone.

Ms. Davis said her brother had been outside sitting in her car before she went to bed and he must have remained outside until the suspects arrived because there was no sign of forced entry into the house.

Lt. Kenneth Riddle arrived to take charge of the investigation and Sgt. Wendy Childers interviewed Ms. Davis and another daughter who then was 11. The girl said she was asleep in her bedroom when she was awakened by people arguing inside the house. She said she was afraid, so she stayed in bed pretending to be asleep. She saw an unfamiliar, tall, heavyset black man outside her bedroom door. He was wearing a camouflage hunting mask but his eyes and lips were exposed. She said he had on a white tank top, very baggy blue jeans and blue underwear. She could see him holding a black pistol, pointing it at her younger sister and mother. She said the gun looked like the same type pistol Childers was carrying. She said she could hear another man down the hall towards the kitchen.

The child said she could hear the man asking her mother where the money was. She said her mother told him that she did not have money but to take other items, such as shoes. The man told her mother no, he wanted money.

She also remembered hearing her uncle, Kelvin, yell that the money box was locked. She then heard her mother say it was unlocked. She then heard one of the men say to go ahead and shoot her uncle. She heard the gunshot and saw one of the men run toward the front door.

The report said the men left with the money box, which contained approximately $1,700.

Rice and Derrick “Black Jesus” Ruff, 28, of 146 Grant Acres Way, Prosperity, were identified early on as suspects in the case. Authorities said both men fled the area. Rice was brought to the sheriff’s office on Aug. 26 by his parents and was arrested. He has been held in the Union County Jail since that day.

Ruff was arrested in Detroit, Mich. and brought back to Union on May 14. He, too, has been held in the jail since then.

Several other people were arrested in the case and accused of assisting Rice and Ruff in leaving the area after the murder.